SE Ridge of Cerro Torre : Compressor Route « by fair means »
The « fair means » ascent of Cerro Torre’s SE ridge by Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk put an end to a quest that has lasted for many years. The world of alpinism has long understood that it was possible to climb this ridge without using the bolts that Cesare Maestri and his team had placed in 1970. We still don’t know much about what difficulty the rope team had to overcome on this ascent - most likely 5.11+/A2, using 5 bolts in the process – but the impact of their success doesn’t lie with the technical level achieved.
This ascent opens a whole new page on the Cerro Torre history. In 1970, Cesare Maestri, in response to those who challenged his 1959 ascent, decided to prove his good faith by doing another first ascent on this mountain, considered one of the most beautiful in the world. His « success » could now be questioned by all, since he was able to climb the ridge (without touching the summit, « ephemeral » mushroom, according to him) placing a huge number of bolts along the way with an enormous compressor that he eventually abandoned on the wall. The amount of gear he used and moreover, the way he used it were equally shocking: amongst other things, bolts were placed alongside perfect cracks that could have taken natural gear.
The history of the Cerro Torre had started badly: Maestri had claimed its first ascent, without his team mate Toni Egger to back his story, since he had disappeared on the mountain. But Maestri didn’t manage to convince many people of his success and any remaining doubts were laid to rest with the successful ascent of this “route” by Alessandro Beltrami, Rolando Garibotti and Ermanno Salvaterra in 2006. The whole story now shines as just a big waste – for the sport, the ethic, the environment and humanity.
Let’s imagine for a second that Maestri hadn’t bolted the ridge. The first ascent would have been done in 2012. The 1970 ascent has obliterated part of the future of alpinism. It took away from the opportunity for future generations of alpinists to try a clean, virgin line, devoid of any industrial waste.
The Cerro Torre case is no doubt unique, but other faces were climbed too soon, with the wrong means. Of course, they remain to be climbed by fair means. But they regrettably lost part of their virginity that made them so fascinating. They often remain littered with gear left in place. They were climbed without real desire, without respect, with the only goal being to satisfy an ambition.
If the Cerro Torre exemple could temper the enthusiasm of alpinists in a rush to come to terms with a mountain that is too hard for them, this sad story will at least have served this purpose.
Claude GARDIEN
The « fair means » ascent of Cerro Torre’s SE ridge by Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk put an end to a quest that has lasted for many years. The world of alpinism has long understood that it was possible to climb this ridge without using the bolts that Cesare Maestri and his team had placed in 1970. We still don’t know much about what difficulty the rope team had to overcome on this ascent - most likely 5.11+/A2, using 5 bolts in the process – but the impact of their success doesn’t lie with the technical level achieved.This ascent opens a whole new page on the Cerro Torre history. In 1970, Cesare Maestri, in response to those who challenged his 1959 ascent, decided to prove his good faith by doing another first ascent on this mountain, considered one of the most beautiful in the world. His « success » could now be questioned by all, since he was able to climb the ridge (without touching the summit, « ephemeral » mushroom, according to him) placing a huge number of bolts along the way with an enormous compressor that he eventually abandoned on the wall. The amount of gear he used and moreover, the way he used it were equally shocking: amongst other things, bolts were placed alongside perfect cracks that could have taken natural gear.
The history of the Cerro Torre had started badly: Maestri had claimed its first ascent, without his team mate Toni Egger to back his story, since he had disappeared on the mountain. But Maestri didn’t manage to convince many people of his success and any remaining doubts were laid to rest with the successful ascent of this “route” by Alessandro Beltrami, Rolando Garibotti and Ermanno Salvaterra in 2006. The whole story now shines as just a big waste – for the sport, the ethic, the environment and humanity.
Let’s imagine for a second that Maestri hadn’t bolted the ridge. The first ascent would have been done in 2012. The 1970 ascent has obliterated part of the future of alpinism. It took away from the opportunity for future generations of alpinists to try a clean, virgin line, devoid of any industrial waste.
The Cerro Torre case is no doubt unique, but other faces were climbed too soon, with the wrong means. Of course, they remain to be climbed by fair means. But they regrettably lost part of their virginity that made them so fascinating. They often remain littered with gear left in place. They were climbed without real desire, without respect, with the only goal being to satisfy an ambition.
If the Cerro Torre exemple could temper the enthusiasm of alpinists in a rush to come to terms with a mountain that is too hard for them, this sad story will at least have served this purpose.
Claude GARDIEN
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